The two main elements of social control are. Social control. The value of social control

- a mechanism for maintaining public order through normative regulation, which implies the actions of society aimed at preventing deviant behavior, punishing deviants or correcting them.

Social control concept

The most important condition and effective functioning social system is the predictability of social action and social behavior people, in the absence of which the social system will be disorganized and disintegrated. Society has certain means by which it ensures the reproduction of existing social relations and interactions. One of these means is social control, the main function of which is to create conditions for the stability of the social system, the preservation of social stability and at the same time for positive social changes. This requires flexibility from social control, including the ability to recognize positive-constructive deviations from social norms that should be encouraged, and negative-dysfunctional deviations, to which certain sanctions (from the Latin sanctio - the strictest decree) of a negative nature must be applied, including including legal.

- this is, on the one hand, the mechanism of social regulation, a set of means and methods of social impact, and on the other hand, the social practice of their use.

In general, the social behavior of an individual proceeds under the control of society and the people around him. They not only teach the individual the rules of social behavior in the process of socialization, but also act as agents of social control, observing the correctness of the assimilation of social behavior patterns and their implementation in practice. In this regard, social control acts as a special form and method of social regulation of people's behavior in society. Social control manifests itself in the subordination of the individual to the social group into which he is integrated, which is expressed in meaningful or spontaneous following social norms prescribed by this group.

Social control consists of two elements- social norms and social sanctions.

Social norms are socially approved or legally enshrined rules, standards, patterns that regulate the social behavior of people.

Social sanctions are rewards and punishments that motivate people to comply with social norms.

Social norms

Social norms- these are socially approved or legally enshrined rules, standards, patterns that regulate the social behavior of people. Therefore, social norms are divided into legal norms, moral norms and social norms proper.

Legal regulations - these are norms formally enshrined in various kinds of legislative acts. Violation of legal norms implies legal, administrative and other types of punishment.

Moral standards- informal norms functioning in the form of public opinion. The main instrument in the system of moral norms is public censure or public approval.

TO social norms usually include:

group social habits (for example, “do not turn your nose up in front of your own”);
social customs (eg hospitality);
social traditions (for example, subordination of children to parents),
public mores (manners, morality, etiquette);
social taboos (absolute prohibitions on cannibalism, infanticide, etc.). Customs, traditions, customs, taboos are sometimes called general rules of social behavior.

Social sanction

Sanction is recognized as the main instrument of social control and represents an incentive for compliance, expressed in the form of reward (positive sanction) or punishment (negative sanction). Sanctions are formal, imposed by the state or specially authorized organizations and individuals, and informal, expressed by unofficial persons.

Social sanctions - they are rewards and punishments that motivate people to abide by social norms. In this regard, social sanctions can be called the guardian of social norms.

Social norms and social sanctions are inseparably whole, and if some social norm lacks an accompanying social sanction, then it loses its socially regulating function. For example, back in the 19th century. in Western Europe, the social norm was the birth of children only in legal marriage. Therefore, illegitimate children were excluded from the inheritance of their parents' property, they were neglected in everyday communication, they could not enter into decent marriages. However, society, as it modernized and softened public opinion regarding illegitimate children, gradually began to exclude informal and formal sanctions for violation of this norm. As a result, this social norm has ceased to exist altogether.

There are the following social control mechanisms:

isolation - isolation of the deviant from society (for example, imprisonment);
isolation - limiting contacts of the deviant with others (for example, placement in a psychiatric clinic);
rehabilitation - a set of measures aimed at returning the deviant to normal life.

Types of social sanctions

While formal sanctions seem to be more effective, in fact, informal sanctions are more important to the individual. The need for friendship, love, recognition, or fear of ridicule and shame are often more effective than orders or fines.

In the process of socialization, forms of external control are assimilated so that they become part of his own beliefs. An internal control system is being formed, called self-control. A typical example of self-control is the pangs of conscience of a person who has committed an unworthy act. In a developed society, self-control mechanisms prevail over external control mechanisms.

Types of social control

In sociology, two main processes of social control are distinguished: the application of positive or negative sanctions for the social behavior of an individual; interiorization (from French. interiorization - transition from outside to inside) by an individual of social norms of behavior. In this regard, external social control and internal social control, or self-control, are distinguished.

External social control is a set of forms, methods and actions that guarantee the observance of social norms of behavior. There are two types of external control - formal and informal.

Formal social control, based on official approval or condemnation, is carried out by public authorities, political and social organizations, the education system, means mass media and operates throughout the country, based on written norms - laws, decrees, decrees, orders and instructions. Formal social control can also include the dominant ideology in society. Speaking of formal social control, they mean, first of all, actions aimed at making people respect laws and order with the help of representatives of the authorities. This control is especially effective in large social groups.

Informal social control based on the approval or condemnation of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, public opinion, is expressed through traditions, customs or mass media. The agents of informal social control are such social institutions as family, school, religion. This type of control is especially effective in small social groups.

In the process of social control, violation of some social norms is followed by very weak punishment, for example, disapproval, an unfriendly look, a grin. Violation of other social norms is followed by severe punishments - the death penalty, imprisonment, expulsion from the country. Violation of taboos and legal laws is punished most severely, and the least punishment is certain types group habits, in particular family.

Internal social control- independent regulation by the individual of his social behavior in society. In the process of self-control, a person independently regulates his social behavior, harmonizing it with generally accepted norms. This type of control manifests itself, on the one hand, in feelings of guilt, emotional experiences, "remorse" for social action, on the other hand, in the form of an individual's reflection on his social behavior.

The individual's self-control over his own social behavior is formed in the process of his socialization and the formation of socio-psychological mechanisms of his internal self-regulation. The main elements of self-control are consciousness, conscience and will.

- it is an individual form of mental representation of reality in the form of a generalized and subjective model of the surrounding world in the form of verbal concepts and sensory images. Consciousness allows an individual to rationalize his social behavior.

Conscience- the ability of a person to independently formulate his own moral obligations and demand from himself to fulfill them, as well as to make a self-assessment of the actions and deeds performed. Conscience does not allow an individual to violate his established attitudes, principles, beliefs, in accordance with which he builds his social behavior.

Will- conscious regulation by a person of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome external and internal difficulties in the performance of purposeful actions and deeds. Will helps an individual to overcome his inner subconscious desires and needs, to act and behave in society in accordance with his beliefs.

In the process of social behavior, an individual has to constantly struggle with his subconscious, which gives his behavior a spontaneous character, therefore, self-control is the most important condition for the social behavior of people. Usually, individuals' self-control over their social behavior increases with age. But it also depends on social circumstances and the nature of external social control: the tighter the external control, the weaker the self-control. Moreover, social experience shows that the weaker an individual's self-control, the more rigid external control should be in relation to him. However, this is fraught with high social costs, since strict external control is accompanied by social degradation of the individual.

In addition to external and internal social control of the social behavior of an individual, there are also: 1) indirect social control based on identification with a reference law-abiding group; 2) social control based on the wide availability of a variety of ways to achieve goals and meet needs, alternative to illegal or immoral.

External social control is a set of forms, methods and actions that guarantee the observance of social norms of behavior. There are two types of external control - formal and informal.

Formal social control, based on official approval or condemnation, is carried out by public authorities, political and social organizations, the education system, the media and operates throughout the country, based on written norms - laws, decrees, decrees, orders and instructions. Formal social control can also include the dominant ideology in society. Speaking of formal social control, they mean, first of all, actions aimed at making people respect laws and order with the help of representatives of the authorities. This control is especially effective in large social groups.

In the process of social control, violation of some social norms is followed by very weak punishment, for example, disapproval, an unfriendly look, a grin. Violation of other social norms is followed by severe punishments - the death penalty, imprisonment, expulsion from the country. Violation of taboos and legal laws is punished most severely, and certain types of group habits, in particular family habits, are the mildest.

Internal social control- independent regulation by the individual of his social behavior in society. In the process of self-control, a person independently regulates his social behavior, harmonizing it with generally accepted norms. This type of control manifests itself, on the one hand, in feelings of guilt, emotional experiences, “remorse” for social actions, on the other, in the form of an individual's reflection on his social behavior.

Human consciousness - it is an individual form of mental representation of reality in the form of a generalized and subjective model of the surrounding world in the form of verbal concepts and sensory images. Consciousness allows an individual to rationalize his social behavior.

Social control, in fact, is a process by which society, its individual spheres, control systems, subsystems, social units determine whether their actions or decisions are correct, whether they need to be adjusted.

Forms of social control [edit | edit wiki text]

Social control can be carried out in institutional and non-institutional forms.

1. Institutional form social control is implemented through a special apparatus specializing in control activities, which is a combination of state and public organizations(bodies, institutions and associations).

2. Non-institutional form social control - a special type of self-regulation inherent in various social systems, control over the behavior of people by the mass consciousness.
Its functioning is based mainly on the action of moral and psychological mechanisms, consisting of continuous monitoring of the behavior of other people and assessments of compliance with its social prescriptions and expectations. A person is aware of himself, observing other members of society (organization, group, community), constantly comparing himself with them, assimilating certain norms of behavior in the process of socialization. Society cannot exist without mental reactions, mutual evaluations. It is thanks to mutual contacts that people realize social values, acquire social experience and skills of social behavior.

A kind of institutional social control is state control.Among the types of state control are: political, administrative and judicial.

· Political control carried out by those bodies and persons who exercise the powers of the supreme power. Depending on the political and state structure, these are parliament, regional and local elected bodies. Political control can to some extent be exercised by political parties that have received the support of the majority of the people, especially those represented in government.

· Administrative control carried out executive bodies all branches of government. Here, as a rule, control of higher officials over the actions of subordinates is implemented, inspection and supervisory bodies are created that analyze the implementation of laws, regulations, management decisions, study the effectiveness and quality of administrative activities.

· Judicial control are carried out by all courts at the disposal of society: general (civil), military, arbitration and constitutional courts.

However, it is difficult for one state to respond to many social requests and requirements, which leads to an exacerbation of social conflicts that destructively affect the character public life... This requires effective feedback to ensure citizens' participation in public administration, an important element of which is public control ... Therefore, along with state control, a special form of control is public control - public control by society represented by the public, individual citizens, social organizations and movements, public opinion. In a modern democratic society, public control is primarily the activity of the established institutions of civil society, the formal and informal participation of individual citizens and their associations in them.

One of the most complex and ambiguous concepts used in scientific legal, political science and sociological literature is the concept of "social control", widely used in the named sciences.

The purpose of the lecture: to acquaint students with the phenomenon of social control; analyze the interpretation of this concept from the point of view various sciences; study the essential components of social control from the point of view of sociological science.

In accordance with the goals set, you can propose the following plan for addressing the topic:

Social control concept.

Functions, participants, types and forms of social control.

Social norms and social sanctions.

1. The concept of social control.

The concept of "social control" has entered the scientific circulation historically recently. So even in the pre-revolutionary dictionary "Brockhaus and Efron" only the term "state control" is used, and it is interpreted rather narrowly as the activity of "an institution whose responsibilities would be to monitor the correctness and legality of the receipt of state revenues and expenditures."

Social control is a term introduced into a wide scientific circulation by the French sociologist and criminologist G. Tarde, who initially considered it as a means of returning a criminal to social activity. Later, expanding the scope of the concept, G. Tarde began to understand it as one of the factors of "socialization" of the individual. Social control began to be interpreted as a purposeful influence of society on the behavior of an individual in order to ensure a "healthy" social order.

A detailed theory of social control in sociology was created by R.A. Lapierre, who considered social control as a means of ensuring the process of assimilation by an individual of culture and its transmission from generation to generation. At the same time, Lapierre identified three universal mechanisms of social control operating in various societies:

1) physical sanctions (punishment of an individual for violation of group norms),

2) economic sanctions ("provocation", "intimidation", "fine"),

3) administrative sanctions.

Various sciences have developed approaches to the problem of social control that correspond to the specifics of their subject.

For example, psychology considers the problem of social control in accordance with the problem of the mental life of the individual 2. It is characteristic that in his work T. Shibutani devotes the entire first part of his social psychology to the problem of social control. Here social control is considered in conjunction with topics such as "Structure of organized groups", "Self-awareness and participation in groups", "Cultural matrix of role playing" and, finally, "Communication and social control".

V political science the problem of social control is investigated within the framework of the relationship between the state and civil society. At the same time, in a number of cases, researchers try to reduce it to the problem of forms and methods of including the individual in political activity, considering social control as the influence of individuals through the institutions of civil society on the institutions of the state as a result of development different forms democracy, both in direct and indirect forms of participation.

V jurisprudence the problem of social control is present not only in the branch of “sociology of law” bordering on sociology, but also in the theory of legal science. The presence of the problem of social control is especially clearly felt in such theories as the analytical jurisprudence of Herbert Hart, the concepts of “living law” by E. Ehrlich and in the American sociological school of law.

It is known that sociological jurisprudence was most widespread in the United States, where it coexisted and competed with analytical jurisprudence and natural law direction. Roscoe Pound, the head of this school, began to develop new problems in the first quarter of a century and at the end of his career he managed to bring his developments together in the five-volume "Jurisprudence" (1959). The essence of the new approach in the sociology of law was characterized by R. Pound himself as an "instrumental pragmatic approach" to the study of law, and the law itself began to be perceived primarily as an "instrument of social control". Since control is associated with the regulation and coordination of behavior and social interaction of law-abiding citizens, the most appropriate name for the jurisprudence itself was the name "legal social engineering", the authorship of which also belongs to R. Pound.

The interpretation of the analyzed concept was influenced by the peculiarities of the formation of a new branch of science - the sociology of law. In the XX century. formed two approaches to the sociology of law. If in continental Europe a branch of sociology that calls itself legal sociology emerged, then in the United States, pragmatically oriented towards the study of practical problems of the rule of law, sociological jurisprudence appeared.

The first of these disciplines associated sociology with the phenomenon of group life as entailing "law." Another - connected jurisprudence with the regulation of relations and the ordering of behavior, which is necessary in the framework of the life of social groups. The first interpretation turned out to be closer to general sociology, the second - closer to the special science of law.

It is known that if European social thought is characterized by a strict separation of various branches of science, including sociology and law, then the United States is more characterized by an integration approach. In particular, this is manifested in the widespread dissemination of the sociological concept of law, when, according to the classics of American legal thought, O.W. Holmes and R. Pound, law is interpreted as "the totality of real social relations" (hence the name of one of the American legal schools - realism) or, as social engineering. At the same time, the law itself is considered to a greater extent instrumental, namely, as the most important form of social control.

Within the framework of this distinction, somewhat different ideas about the functions of law were formed. In the European tradition, the regulatory and protective functions are the main ones for law. In American legal thought, there is a different point of view. Thus, according to the American lawyer Lawrence Friedman, the main function of law is to socially control the behavior of people in society 3. Naturally, the legal system itself is seen as part of the system of social control.

According to general sociological understanding, social control is a way of self-regulation of any social system that regulates and consolidates the activities of its members, stabilizes their own functioning and development through the formation of personal, group and institutional standards of activity (norms, values, ideals), as well as assessing on their basis the real activities of people and subsequent adjustment of these activities in accordance with the standards using a system of social sanctions.

From the point of view of a systems approach, social control is defined as a mechanism for self-regulation of the system, which ensures the orderly interaction of its constituent elements through normative (including legal) regulation. As part of the general system for coordinating the interaction of individuals and society, primary social control is set by the presence of the institutional organization of society. A social institution controls behavior by establishing patterns that give behavior one of many theoretically possible directions. The controlling nature of institutionalization is not strictly related to the system of sanctions that support the institution: additional, secondary control mechanisms are required if the institutionalization processes are not entirely successful. The application of sanctions ensures that the discrepancy between the actual and the expected behavior of members of the community coincides or minimizes 4.

Now more and more often from TV screens, as well as on the pages of the Internet, you can stumble upon the phrase "social control". And many ask themselves the question: "What is it and why is it needed at all?"

V modern world social control is understood as the supervision of human behavior in society in order to prevent conflicts, establish order and maintain the existing social order. The presence of social control is one of the most important conditions for the normal functioning of the state, as well as the observance of its laws. An ideal society is a society in which each of its members does what he wants, but at the same time it is what is expected of him and what is required by the state at the moment. Of course, it is not always easy to get a person to do what society wants him to do.

The mechanisms of social control have long passed the test of time, and the most common among them, of course, are group pressure and human socialization. For example, in order for the state to observe population growth, it is necessary to convince families that having children is good and beneficial for their health. More primitive societies seek to control human behavior through coercion, but this method does not always work. In addition, with a large population in the state, it is almost impossible to use this measure of social control.

The study of the forms and types of social control is fundamentally important for today's society. Now the population is provided with more and more freedoms, however, responsibility at the same time increases. The methods of controlling deviant behavior are changing, becoming more sophisticated and less noticeable, and sometimes not every person realizes that everything that he does was programmed by the state and placed in his head from the very birth. This work reveals the most popular and effective forms and types of social control, most often used in society. Knowing them is useful to every educated person, since for a normal existence it is fundamentally important to know all those mechanisms that affect human consciousness.

What is social control and deviant behavior

Now in the world there is no such ideal society in which each of its members behaves in accordance with the accepted requirements. Very often, so-called social deviations can occur, which do not always reflect well on the structure of society. The forms of social deviations are very different: from harmless to very, very dangerous. Someone has deviations in personal organization, someone in social behavior, someone there and there. These are all kinds of criminals, hermits, geniuses, ascetics, representatives of sexual minorities, otherwise called deviants.

“The most innocent act associated with violation of the traditional distribution of roles may turn out to be deviant. For example, a higher salary for a wife may seem abnormal, since a husband has been the main producer of wealth from time immemorial. In a traditional society, such a distribution of roles, in principle, could not arise.

So, any behavior that causes disapproval of public opinion is called deviant. " Usually sociologists distinguish between 2 main types of deviation: primary and secondary. Moreover, if the primary deviation is not particularly dangerous for society, since it is regarded as a kind of prank, then the secondary deviations stick the label of a deviant on the personality. Secondary deviations include criminal offenses, drug use, homosexuality, and more. Criminal behavior, sexual deviations, alcoholism or drug addiction cannot lead to the emergence of new cultural patterns useful for society. It should be recognized that the overwhelming number of social deviations play a destructive role in the development of society. Therefore, society simply needs a mechanism that will allow it to control unwanted deviant behavior.

Social control is a similar mechanism. Thus, social control is a set of means by which society or social group guarantees the conformal behavior of its members in relation to role requirements and expectations. In this regard, with the help of social control, all the necessary conditions are created for the stability of each social system, it contributes to the preservation of social stability, and also, at the same time, does not interfere with positive changes in the social system. Therefore, social control requires great flexibility and the ability to correctly assess the various deviations from social norms of activity that take place in society in order to encourage beneficial deviations and punish destructive ones.

A person begins to feel the influence of social control already in childhood, in the process of socialization, when a person is explained who he is and why he lives in the world. From infancy, a person develops a sense of self-control, he takes on various social roles that impose the need to meet expectations. At the same time, most children grow up and become respectable citizens of their country who respect the law and do not seek to violate the norms adopted in society. Social control is diverse and omnipresent: it occurs whenever an interaction of at least two people begins.

Forms of social control

Over the long years of its existence, humanity has developed a number of different forms of social control. They can be both tangible and completely invisible. The most effective and traditional form is self-control. It arises immediately after the birth of a person and accompanies him throughout his conscious life. Moreover, each individual, without coercion, controls his behavior in accordance with the norms of the society to which he belongs. The norms in the process of socialization are very firmly established in the consciousness of a person, so firmly that, having violated them, a person begins to experience the so-called pangs of conscience.

Approximately 70% of social control is carried out through self-control. The more self-control is developed among members of a society, the less this society has to resort to external control. And vice versa. The less self-control is developed in people, the more often institutions of social control, in particular, the army, courts, and the state, have to come into action. However, strict external control, petty guardianship of citizens inhibit the development of self-awareness and expression of will, muffle internal volitional efforts. This is how a vicious circle arises, into which more than one society has fallen into throughout world history. The name of this circle is dictatorship.

Often the dictatorship is established for a time, for the benefit of citizens and in order to restore order. But it lingers for a long time, to the detriment of people and leads to even greater arbitrariness. Citizens accustomed to submitting to coercive control do not develop internal control. Gradually, they degrade as social beings capable of taking responsibility and dispensing with external coercion (i.e. dictatorship). In other words, under a dictatorship, no one teaches them to behave in accordance with rational norms. Thus, self-control is a purely sociological problem, because the degree of its development characterizes the social type of people prevailing in society and the emerging form of the state. Group pressure is another common form of social control. Of course, no matter how strong a person's self-control is, belonging to a group or community has a huge impact on the personality.

When an individual is included in one of the primary groups, he begins to comply with the basic norms, to follow a formal and informal code of conduct. The slightest deviation usually results in condemnation by the group members, and there is also a risk of exclusion. “Variations in group behavior resulting from group pressure can be traced back to the production team. Each member of the team must adhere to certain norms of behavior, not only at work, but also after work. And if, say, disobedience to the foreman may entail harsh remarks from the workers for the offender, then truancy and drunkenness often end in his boycott and rejection from the brigade. " However, depending on the group, the strength of the group pressure may be different. If the group is very close-knit, then, accordingly, the force of group pressure increases. For example, in a group where a person spends his free time, it is more difficult to exercise social control than in a place where joint activities are regularly carried out, such as in the family or at work.

Group control is formal and informal. The official includes all kinds of working meetings, deliberative meetings, councils of shareholders and so on. Informal control is understood as the impact on group members by participants in the form of approvals, ridicule, condemnation, isolation and refusal to communicate.

Another form of social control is propaganda, which is considered to be a very powerful means of influencing human consciousness. Propaganda is a way of influencing people, in some way interfering with the rational enlightenment of a person, in which a person draws his own conclusions. The main task of propaganda is to influence groups of people in such a way as to shape the behavior of society in the desired direction. Propaganda should influence those forms of social behavior that are closely related to the system of moral values in society. Everything is subjected to propaganda processing, from people's actions in typical situations to beliefs and orientations. Propaganda is used as a kind of technical means suitable for achieving their goals. There are 3 main types of propaganda.

The first type includes the so-called revolutionary propaganda, which is needed in order to force people to accept a system of values, as well as a situation that is in conflict with the generally accepted one. An example of such propaganda is the propaganda of communism and socialism in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

The second type is destructive propaganda. Its main purpose is to destroy the existing system values. The clearest example of such propaganda was Hitler's, which did not try to force people to accept the ideals of Nazism, but at the same time sought to undermine trust in traditional values with all their might.

And finally, the third type of propaganda is amplifying. It is designed to reinforce people's attachments to certain values and orientations. This type of propaganda is typical for the United States, where the existing system of values is consolidated in this way. According to sociologists, this type of propaganda is the most effective, it serves very well to maintain established value orientations. In addition, it reflects the prevailing, traditional stereotypes. This type of propaganda is mainly aimed at instilling conformism in people, which presupposes agreement with the dominant ideological and theoretical organizations.

Currently, the concept of propaganda in the public mind is mainly associated with military sphere or politics. Slogans are considered one of the ways to implement propaganda in society. A slogan is a short statement, usually expressing a main task or guiding idea. The correctness of such a statement is usually not in doubt, since it is only of a general nature.

During a crisis or conflict in any country, demagogues can throw, for example, such slogans: “My country is always right”, “Motherland, faith, family” or “Freedom or death”. But do most people analyze the true causes of this crisis, conflict? Or do they just agree with what they are told?

In his work dedicated to the First World War, Winston Churchill wrote: "It is enough just one call - and crowds of peaceful peasants and workers turn into mighty armies, ready to tear the enemy apart." He also noted that most people, without hesitation, carry out the order given to them.

The propagandist also has many symbols and signs at his disposal that carry the ideological charge he needs. For example, a flag can serve as a similar symbol, ceremonies such as a salvo of twenty-one guns and saluting are also symbolic. Love for parents can also be used as leverage. Obviously, such concepts - symbols as fatherland, motherland - mother or the faith of ancestors, can become a powerful weapon in the hands of clever manipulators of someone else's opinion.

Of course, propaganda and all its derivatives are not necessarily evil. The question is who is doing it, and for what purpose. And also in who this very propaganda is being conducted. And if we talk about propaganda in a negative sense, then you can resist it. And it’s not that difficult. It is enough for a person to understand what propaganda is and learn to identify it in the general flow of information. And having learned, it is already much easier for a person to decide for himself how compatible the ideas suggested to him are with his own ideas about what is good and what is bad.

Social control through coercion is also another common form. It is usually practiced in the most primitive as well as traditional societies, although it may be present in smaller quantities even in the most developed states. In the presence of a high population of a complex culture, the so-called secondary group control begins to be applied - laws, various violent regulators, formalized procedures. When an individual is unwilling to follow these regulations, the group or society will resort to coercion to force him to act like everyone else. In modern societies, there are well-defined rules, or enforcement systems, which are a set of enforceable sanctions applied in accordance with various types of deviations from the norm.

Social control through coercion is characteristic of any power, but its place, role, and character are not the same in different systems. In a developed society, coercion is attracted mainly for crimes committed against society. The decisive role in the fight against offenses belongs to the state. It has special apparatus coercion. Legal regulations determine why government agencies can use the method of coercion. The means of coercion are physical and mental violence, i.e. a threat. There is also no reason to believe that a threat can only be a means of coercion when it is itself punishable.

The state must also protect its citizens from coercion by threats, which in themselves are not punishable, if the content of the threat is an illegal act, otherwise there would be impunity for many cases of serious mental violence. The element of coercion, joining the threat, gives it a different and greater meaning. It goes without saying that the threat must contain an indication of a significant, in the eyes of the threatened, illegal evil, otherwise it will be unable to influence the will of the threatened.

In addition to the above, there are many other forms of social control, such as encouragement, pressure of authority, punishment. A person begins to feel each of them on himself from birth, even if he does not understand that he is being influenced.

All forms of social control are covered by two main types: formal and informal.

Formal social control

It is carried out by specially created subjects of power or institutions of society. With the emergence and development of state forms of government, special mechanisms of coercion and law, formal control pushed the informal into the background. To carry out formal control, special sets of rules and laws are being developed that are valid throughout the country. Social control has acquired institutional support. It is global. It is carried out by specially trained people, the so-called agents of formal control. These include judges, psychiatrists, social workers, special officials churches, etc.

Formal control is exercised by such institutions of modern society as courts, the education system, the army, production, the media, and the government. The school is controlled by exam grades, the government is controlled by the system of taxation and social assistance to the population, the state is controlled by the police, the secret service, state radio, television and the press. The very functioning of the state is possible only due to the presence of formal social control. The presence of formal control ensures the safety of citizens of the state, guarantees observance of laws, contributes to its development and prosperity.

Historically, formal control arose later than informal - during the emergence of complex societies and states, in particular, ancient Eastern empires. The very need for the application of formal social control arises only when society becomes very large and begins to include various social strata of the population. If in a small community, to control all its members, you can do with condemnation, then in a large and vast state it is almost impossible to keep track of everyone. Therefore, formal social control also arises.

Informal social control

Informal control is based on approval or condemnation on the part of a group of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, as well as on the part of public opinion, which is expressed through traditions and customs or the media. Informal control over a person greatly affects his character, worldview, tastes and habits. Many sociologists also call informal social control local: it cannot immediately spread to a large group of people, but at the same time it perfectly affects each individual person throughout life. In modern society, informal control operates primarily at the level of primary groups.

His tools are mainly gossip, ridicule, boycott, advice, compliment, and more. At the level of large groups, the power of public opinion weakens, and informal control becomes ineffective. The existence of informal social control in traditional societies was possible only due to the fact that social regulation was unwritten and consisted of ideas about what should be passed from mouth to mouth. A small rural community could control all aspects of its members' lives: choosing a bride or groom, methods of resolving disputes and conflicts, ways of courtship, choosing the name of a newborn, and much more. There were no written norms. Public opinion, most often expressed by the oldest members of the community, acted as the controller. V unified system social control was organically intertwined with religion.

Strict observance of rituals and ceremonies associated with traditional holidays and ceremonies (for example, marriage, childbirth, maturity, betrothal, harvest), fostered a sense of respect for social norms, instilled a deep understanding of their need.

Now informal control can also be carried out by family, circle of relatives, friends and acquaintances. They are called informal control agents. If we consider the family as a social institution, then we should talk about the most important institution of social control.

It is difficult to overestimate the impact of informal social control on an individual member of society. From childhood, parents and friends influence us, form our ideas about good and evil, about right and wrong. Perhaps, informal social control is still somewhat more important than formal control, because no matter how the laws of the state change, what the family has invested in a person will remain in him for the rest of his life. And a person tends to listen to the opinions of others more often than to his own.

Conclusion

Having studied the main types and forms of social control, one can come to the conclusion that the character, value system, habits and worldview of a person are completely determined by the society to which he belongs.

The role and importance of social control is difficult to overestimate. He not only supports the existing system of values, but also plays an important role in the stabilization of the social system, as well as in the establishment of social order. Its main task is to make a habit of standards of behavior in society that do not cause disapproval and discontent of other members of society. The stabilizing and protective functions of social control make possible the existence of modern multinational, multimillion states with a complex system of relationships.

The problem of social deviations, deviant behavior is attracting more and more attention of Russian sociologists. Ways of rational control and dissemination of positive behavior are being actively developed. An important task of researchers is also the typologization of deviant personality behavior, the development of conceptual foundations of the mechanism of social control.

However, it should be admitted that, despite all the efforts of sociologists, there is still a huge number of undesirable deviations in society, which are quite difficult to deal with. The challenge for the future is to find the most optimal forms of control over deviant behavior in order to ensure happy life every member of society.

Bibliography

I. I. Antonovich. "Capitalism and Social Control: (Critique of the Theory and Practice of Social Control in Bourgeois Sociology)". –M .: Mysl, 1978. –184p.
A.I. Kravchenko. "Sociology and Political Science". –M .: Masterstvo, 2002. –312p.
K. Gabdullina, E. Raisov. "Sociology". –M .: Nur-Press, 2005. –202p.
Kasyanov, Nechipurenko, Sociology of Law.
S.S. Frolov, "Sociology", Section II Culture and Personality, Social control and social deviations.
Agents of formal and informal control. (http://sociologam.ru)

The term "social control" was first introduced by a French sociologist. He proposed to consider it as one of the most important. society.

Social control is a mechanism that exists to maintain order in society, aimed at preventing the undesirable, deviating and punishing them for this. Carried out through regulatory regulation.

The most important condition for the functioning of a social system is the predictability of people's actions and behavior. If it is not fulfilled, then its disintegration will occur. For the stability of the system, society uses various means, which include social control, which performs a protective and stabilizing function.

It has a structure and consists of and sanctions. The first contain prescriptions, certain patterns of behavior in society (they indicate what people should do, think, speak and feel). They are subdivided into legal (enshrined in laws, contain sanctions for their violation) and (expressed in the form of public opinion, the main instrument of influence is general censure or approval).

The norms are classified by scale into those that exist in small, large groups and in society as a whole. The general ones include traditions, customs, etiquette, laws, customs, etc. Norms are the rights and obligations of a person in relation to others, the fulfillment of which is expected of him by those around him. They have a strictly defined framework. These usually include social customs and traditions, manners, etiquette, group habits, taboos, social customs, laws.

To regulate human behavior, there are sanctions, with the help of which his "correct actions" are encouraged, and for the violations committed, penalties are applied. They can be very diverse, ranging from disapproving look to imprisonment and even the death penalty. Sanctions are divided into 4 types: negative (punishment), positive (reward), formal (various awards, bonuses, certificates, scholarships, fines, imprisonment, etc.), informal (approval, praise, compliment, verbal reprimand, offensive tone).

Types of social control

External (formal and informal) and internal.

Formal control is carried out by state bodies, social and political organizations, the media, based on official condemnation or approval and acting throughout the state. At the same time, the norms governing human activities are contained in laws, regulations, various instructions and orders. Formal social control is aimed at observance of the existing order and respect for the laws with the help of representatives of state bodies. Informal is based on condemnation or approval of actions by friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, and so on. It is expressed in the form of traditions, customs, and also through the media.

Internal social control involves a person's regulation of his behavior independently, based on generally accepted norms. It manifests itself in the form of emotional experiences, feelings of guilt and, in general, attitudes towards perfect deeds. The main elements of self-control are conscience, will and consciousness.

Indirect (based on identification with a law-abiding group) and direct social control based on accessibility different ways satisfaction of needs and achievement of goals, alternative to immoral or illegal.